Meditation is a great way to heal the brain from the damaging consequences of our time in addiction. According to The Buddhist Centre, “Buddhist meditation practices are techniques that encourage and develop concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, and a calm seeing of the true nature of things. By engaging with a particular meditation practice you learn the patterns and habits of your mind, and the practice offers a means to cultivate new, more positive ways of being.” Meditation provided very real benefits to our mental and physical health, and can be incredibly helpful for those in early sobriety. Here are three tips for beginning a meditation practice:

Create a Routine

Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield suggests, “Choose a time of day that works for you, and then try to meditate around that time every day.” If we are adhering to a 12-Step recovery program, we should take the suggestion to pray and meditate each morning before we begin our day. Through daily meditation, we can strengthen our connection with our Higher Power and go about our day with a sense of serenity.

Start Small

We don’t have to begin with long meditation sessions. We can start small with only a few minutes each day. Dr. Alice Boyes, in a Psychology Today article entitled 5 Meditation Tips for Beginners, explains, “Even three minutes can feel like a darn long time when you first start meditating, so you could even start smaller. For example, paying attention to the sensations of taking 3 breaths.” Overtime, we may find it helpful to meditate for longer period of time.

Don’t Worry About Doing It Right

Try not to get caught up in thinking about whether you’re meditating the right or wrong way. Leo Babauta of Zen Habits explains, “Most people worry about where to sit, how to sit, what cushion to use … this is all nice, but it’s not that important to get started. Start just by sitting on a chair, or on your couch. Or on your bed. If you’re comfortable on the ground, sit cross-legged. It’s just for two minutes at first anyway, so just sit. Later you can worry about optimizing it so you’ll be comfortable for longer, but in the beginning, it doesn’t matter much, just sit somewhere quiet and comfortable.” Getting caught up in the details can take us out of the experience. The most important thing we can do is just give it a shot.

Your life can become one of serenity and peace of mine. You can begin the rewarding journey of recovery by making the decision to seek help now. Resilient House, located in beautiful Shreveport, Louisiana, believes in addressing all aspects of addiction, including the mind, body, and spirit, to help you develop all the tools necessary to achieve and maintain lasting sobriety. For information about treatment options, please call today: (833) 242-6431